Cap remover and retainer



T. w. LEPKOWSKI CAP REMOVER AND RETAINER Aug. 14, 1951 2 Sheets-"Sheet 1 Filed May 21, 1948 Ag. 14, 1951 T. w. LEPKowsKl CAP REMOVER. AND RETAINER 2 Sheets-sheet 2 Filed May 2l, 1948 JNVENTOR. THOMAS .M/ flo/0 ws/r/ A TTOlQ/VEK Patented Aug. 14, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CAP REMOVER, AND RETAINER Thomas W. Lepkowski, New York, N. Y.

Application May 21, 1948, Serial No. 28,492

3 Claims'. (Cl. 81--3.1)

'I'he invention relates to a separating device for use in removing metal caps crimped over the top of bottles, and more especially to a cap removing device of this nature which may be operated by a downward movement toward the bottle rather than the conventional method of removing caps by movement upwardly or away from the bottle.

The invention has for an object to provide an opener device in the nature of a guide casing for removed caps whereby either a plurality thereof may be accommodated and retained temporarily within the said casing or the same may be discharged therefrom as removed from a bottle into an associated storage receptacle of substantial capacity for eventual disposition of the caps when the receptacle becomes lled.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cap remover of this nature wherein the cap, upon removal, immediately becomes locked in the casing save for the discharge opening provided therein.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device whereby it is possible to remove successively a plurality of caps while retaining the opener within ones hand, the palm of which then serves to close temporarily the discharge opening.

y Another object of the inventionV is to provide a cap remover wherein caps as removed ilow naturally toward the discharge opening which is of greater diameter than the bottle top receiving opening, and are guided by the casing toward said discharge opening.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an operating fulcrum in the device which will serve also as a means of exerting pressure substantially at the center of a cap, tending thereby to spread the same so that its diameter will exceed that of the entrance opening to avoid discharge of the capv therethrough, as well as t reduce the force required to remove a cap.

A still further object of the invention is to provide' a bottle cap remover having an engaging means which distributes the pressure over a substantial portion of the cap and does not contact directly the usual glass top of a bottle, which frequently'causes chipping thereof; also, a remover device which will not objectionably distort the cap when removed thereby.

The invention has for an object, also, to greatly simplify the operation of cap removal in that the same may -be performed, when a bottle is suitably retained against lateral movement, with a single-hand operation since the pressure exerted thereon is downward rather than in the conventional upward direction.

-flO

The nature of the invention, however, will best be understood when described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the novel cap remover as applied to the top of a bottle, and indicates in broken lines the manner of operating the same manually.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the cap remover.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section thereof, showing in broken lines also a number of removed caps retained in the cap remover.

Fig. 4 is an underneath view of the cap remover.

Figs. 5 and 6 are transverse sections taken re. spectively on the lines 5-5 and 6 6, Fig. 3 of the drawings, and looking in the direction of the 'arrows.

Fig. 7 is a view of a blank from which the novel cap remover may be formed.

Figs. 8 and 9 are respectively a frontelevation and a vertical section illustrating a modified form of the cap remover, the latter gure illustrating the top of a bottle in position for removal of its cap.

Fig. 10 is an elevation, partly in longitudinal section, and illustrates a still further modification in the cap remover.

Referring to the drawings, more particularly. Figs. 1-7, inclusive, which illustrate a portable embodiment of the invention, 20 designates an elon'- gated, more or less flattened casing which canl be formed up from a sheet metal stamping (Fig. 7). This stamping is designed to -be bent at the portions indicated by the longitudinal broken lines 2|, 22 and the transverse broken lines 23, 24, 25, 26 and 2l to provide the casing 20. In forming the stamping, a depression 30 is provided in the portion constituting the eventual top wall 3| of the casing, also a generally circular and discharge perforation 32. In the tongue extension from which the opposite ends 33 and 34 of the casing are provided, as well as the bottom 35,`a

further and similar perforation 36 is provided which is of somewhat smaller diameter than the perforation 32. To form the sides of the casing 20, the blank is bent along the lines 2|, 22 at right angles to top wall portion 3|. The one end is then formed in part by bending at right angles along line 24 an end projecting portion 31, this being further bent inwardly along line 23 at right angles to the projecting portion to afford a reinforcing lip 38 contiguous to the bottom 35 within the casing and having an arcuate edge 39 designed to register with a portion of the edge of perforation 36 (see Figs. 3 and 5). The depression 3D is so positioned that it will lie substantially coaxially with the perforation 36 and arcuate edge portion 39 and is displaced inwardly sufciently to more or less contact centrally the outer face of a sheet metal or crown type cap 4D with flange crimped over the beaded top or mouth ofa bottle 4| when inserted into the casing 2D, said cap sealing normally the contents of the bottle as is well understood.

The casing is completed by bending over the tongue extension of the blank about line to provide the other end 33, preferably inclined upwardly toward perforation 32, and the bottom 35. It is then continued about the end portion 31 by bending the tongue at line 25 and again by bending at line 21, continuing the tongue over the top wall 3l, thus to lock more or less the various portions in position. A suitable finish may be provided thereover, if desired.

The novel opener or decapper would then have the general appearance, Figs. 2 and 4. By inclining or curving the one end portion 33 to taper the interior of the casing toward the top wall 3|, removed caps 40, Fig. 3, accumulating within the casing are guided toward the-discharge perforation 32, for example, into the palm of a hand of an operator of the opener (Fig. l) as the hand (indicated by broken lines) depresses the discharge end of the casing in the direction indicated by the arrow, and after the casing has been placed over the cap lill4 and mouth of the y bottle 4i'. Pressing downwardly, as indicated, sets the depressed portion`3 to afford an abutment or fulcrum in contacting the top of the bottle cap, while the arcuate reinforced lip willv engage under the ange of the bottle capA to strip vthe same from the bottle. The abutment at the same time will cause the cap to spread more or less radially to an extent suflicient to prevent its dropping through perforation 36 when the bottle 4I is separated from the casing, a cap then being guided to slide along the bottom of the casing toward the discharge perforation 32 a number of such caps accumulating in the casing before it becomes necessary to clear the latter thereof. Thus, a number of bottles may bedecapped Without removing the opener from ones hand and the caps falling conveniently into the palm of the operators hand in discharging the same Ample leverage is afforded also by the substantial displacement of the fulcrum from the discharge end of the cap remover.

The novel features of this invention render it possible to associate also a collector receptacle of substantial proportions as well as to provide the same as a stationary type of opener. Thus, reference being had to Figs. 8 and 9 of the drawings, the opener casing is formed withv a bracket portion 46 for attachment to a wall or other rigid support 41, the casing being inclined to the wall at a suitable angle to enable a bottle top 48 to be inserted through the entrance opening-49 of the casing. The channel portion of the casing 45 is made to flare outwardly to provide a mouth 50 designed to register with the opening lilY in the top of a removable receptacle 52 for storage of caps 53 removed from bottles in the manner hereinbefore described. The flared portion of the casing is provided along its side with inwardly 4 directed anges 54 serving as a guide and supporting ledges for the top of receptacle 52 through outwardly directed side flanges 55 designed to rest thereon.

A portable form of cap remover with increased storage space for removed caps is indicated in Fig. 10 wherein the casing 6|) is similar to the casing illustrated in Figs. 16, except that the end ofthe casing opposite-the entrance, opening 6I remains open to afford the discharge opening 62 for removed caps. These are designed to be collected in a suitable bag-like receptacle 63 fitting over the discharge end of the casing; and the container to this end is contracted at its mouth and is provided thereat with a resilient means such asan elastic band 64 tending to hold the container to the casing which bears peripheral headings 65 to receive between them the said resilient mouth portion of the container.

By these expedientsyit will be necessary to empty a container only at relatively long interi vals, the same being adapted more especially for commercial use, whereas the first-described embodiment of the invention is intended more or less for personal use in decapping a small number of bottles.

I claimt i. A bottle cap remover comprising a hollow elongated nat casing affording an operating element for removal of a cap, said casing being provided with a generally circular opening at one end of a diameter to admit a bottle top with cap to the casing and less than that of a spread removed cap, the said opening affording an 'edge engage-able with the cap, and -the said casing constituting a channel to receive 'a removed cap and having an opening at the opposite end of the casing suitable for discharge of a removed and spread cap.

2. A bottle cap remover according to claim i, wherein the second-named opening is provided in the face of the channel opposite that having the bO'ttl top 'Opening Whiby 'Upon dvvwd inclination of the bottle cap remover the cap will pass out of the latter opening.

3. A bottle cap remover according to claim i, wherein one of the walls of the casing is 'curved at its end opposite the top-admitting opening to direct a removed cap to thedi'scharge opening.

THOMAS W. LEPKWBK'I.-

REFERENCES CITED The following references are 'of record in the' file of this patent: 

